CONS Synonyms: 217 Similar and Opposite Words

cons 1 of 4

noun (1)

Definition of cons next

plural of con

as in prisoners

a person convicted as a criminal and serving a prison sentence a program to help ex-cons find employment

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cons

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural of con

as in scams

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value the explanation was so plausible that I never suspected it was all a con to make off with my car

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cons

3 of 4

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of con

as in studies

to commit to memory usually candidates con their entire campaign speech, right down to the jokes they supposedly ad-lib

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in reviews

to look over closely (as for judging quality or condition) seemed to be conning his face for any sign of uncertainty

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cons

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of con

as in hustles

to rob by the use of trickery or threats a fly-by-night operator who had conned hundreds of would-be homeowners out of their hard-earned money

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as in tricks

to cause to believe what is untrue tried to con me into thinking that he had actually won the lottery

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cons

Noun

What are the cons of investing in gold? —

Liz Knueven, CNBC, 17 June 2026 At the same time, the process of Jessie navigating the pros and cons of consumer tech finds this franchise at its best. —

David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 What are the pros and cons there? —

Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026 The workgroup evaluating the use of standardized tests will look into the pros and cons of incorporating SAT, ACT or 11th grade Smarter Balanced Assessment scores in the admissions process. —

Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026 Earlier this year its school board was mixed on doing so and discussed the pros and cons of the program during a board meeting in January. —

Samuel O’Neal 9, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 June 2026 Martinez disagrees with Crookes’ assertion that the device’s benefits outweigh its cons. —

O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 1 June 2026

Verb

Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish. —

Literary Hub, 19 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cons

Noun

The method of nitrogen hypoxia requires prisoners to breathe in the gas through an industrial-grade mask while strapped to a gurney and being deprived of oxygen.

— Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 12 June 2026
By Thursday afternoon, the court had not yet released a decision, said Naji Abbas, director of prisoners and detainees at the nonprofit group Physicians for Human Rights — Israel.

— Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026